The present invention relates, in general, to a damped steering assembly for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a steering column in combination with a dashboard support and active vibration damping system.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
German Pat. No. 101 12 738 describes a dashboard support having a support beam between the A-pillars of a motor vehicle and an active system for vibration damping. Piezoelectric elements are hereby positioned in an attachment zone between the A-pillars and the support beam of the dashboard support, as well as in the attachment zone of the steering column to the support beam. When the dashboard support vibrates during operation of the vehicle, the vibration is detected by a sensor and damped by an actively produced compensating vibration.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved steering column to enhance a vibration damping, in particular in an area of the instrument panel.